What makes a great poker player?
No matter what type of poker you are playing, you could be playing for fun, or you could play ten play draw poker online for real money, whatever you do, you want the skills to be a great poker player, and win.
So what makes a great poker player? Well, there is a particular skill set for this, and all the skills in poker are transferable to everyday life. Regardless of your goal is to be a dominator at poker, or if you are just a losing player who is looking to break even, poker skills are what you need to get there.
Having the right skills can turn a losing player into a winning player in no time. So, let’s look at what you need to know to get there.
What skills do you need to have?
The basic skills of any poker player are super simple. First, you have to understand why you need to learn skills to play poker, not knowing why you need to do this will create a roadblock for you, be open to learning and growing your skills. You also need to learn to be honest with yourself and select your games carefully. Keep your bankroll and your life roll separate, mixing the two will never end well.
Understand variety, and study when you are starting to win, or lose. Improving your math skills like this can be super handy with poker.
These are just a few beginner skills to be a good poker player. But, what makes a GREAT poker player?
Skills of great poker players.
There are ten key skills of a great poker player. We will look in-depth at each of these ten skills, so you can get working on them right away.
#1. Proper bankroll management.
There are a few skills you need in any form of gambling that is as imperative as being able to manage your money well. Your bankroll is your single most important asset, and so you need to learn how to handle it properly to succeed in the long term.
Not managing your bankroll properly, playing higher than you should, or taking too many shots will be the doorway to losing all your money. Sadly this is a lesson many poker players end up learning on their own when it is already too late.
Handling your bankroll early on in poker, and being wise about it gives you a head start and helps you prepare for many life situations with your finances, as well as being more secure in your poker playing.
#2. Being able to make decisions while under pressure.
Poker is hardly a “stress-free” game, it is stressful, and you will be under pressure. Every play you make during the game can have significant consequences in the future, and you cannot take a break even when you want one. Sometimes you will have to play several super-tough hands in a row, and you will have to make the best decisions fast every time. Learning to make decisions while under pressure, and make those decisions well, will have a significant impact on your style of play.
#3. Patience is a virtue.
You could be the best player at the table or the worst, it doesn’t matter, you simply cannot force things. You will often have to fit around for long periods of time doing pretty much nothing but folding and waiting for some decent cards. Trying to force things may work in other situations, but in poker, it doesn’t. Force is the opposite of a winning strategy.
#4. Being able to deal with loss.
You will never encounter a game of poker without loss. Loss will always be present. Even if you are a great player who doesn’t lose in the long run, you will still lose at some point. You will have to sit through many losing sessions and keep playing your best, never faltering. It can be hard to bear through, but being able to do so means you can come out the other side a beautiful poker-playing butterfly.
#5. Being able to read people.
Since you play against other people, you need to understand your opponents, their motivation, reasoning, and how they play. You cannot make a read as they do in the movies, but you will need to know how to assess players and think about their actions.
#6. Make the most of any hand.
Making the best of a bad situation is something we have to do in many aspects of life, including a game of poker. Sometimes you will not get that big hand you’ve been waiting for, and you will be forced to find the best scenario you can with a mediocre hand and just roll with it.
#7. Deep understanding of Risk Vs Reward.
Risk and reward sit together in every aspect of life. You may have heard ‘tight is right’, and it is right, sometimes you need to take calculated risks to make money at the poker tables. Every decision you make when you play will have financial consequences.
#8. Timing.
You may need to make an aggressive push from time to time, we do not mean physical aggression, but the kind of aggression you need to get where you need to go. If this is not a natural part of you and your life, poker can help you develop this. Poker is great for ive people to learn to become less ive and more authoritative in their decisions, and it helps them understand when you need to turn on the aggression.
#9. Staying focused.
With phones, the internet, and social media we get distracted so easily these days. Poker teaches us to stay in the moment, stay focused and hold our concentration. It is actually a great way to train yourself to focus.
Try not to zone out while you are waiting for a new deal, if you want to excel, focus on what’s going on around you, with the cards and other players.
#10. Great instinct.
We forget that we are animals sometimes, and we have instincts. Even about poker. The same instincts animals use to hunt and survive can be useful for us in poker. Listen to your instincts and make your moves based on them, you might be shocked how often they are right.